Wyoming Elk, Hay stacks, & Feedgrounds

[Big Fin]

Marcus drew a Wyoming elk tag in 2023 that hit a lot of storylines we’ve had on the “story list” that drives what tags we apply for. It was the first year of this season, so we had no idea how it would turn out.

Very few tags, targeting bulls that leave the feedgrounds and hammer haystacks.

In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have feedgrounds. Yet, this is not a perfect world. And to date, for the sake of elk and those who depend on elk, no better solution has been found, however imperfect the feedground solution is.

Bull Elk Down! The Story of Wyoming's Feedgounds #FreshTracks

 

[sneakypete]

Good video. Marcus showed persistence and took a nice problem bull!

 

[Sask hunter]

Our draw tags in Sask is a split season with the late split being in December usually. It targets the same thing elk in hay stacks

 

[mukbowhunt]

It is a good video but I believe that tag just got a lot harder to draw.

 

[Big Fin]

It got a lot harder to draw in the second year of the season, 2024. For the two tags in the Regular draw it went from 5 applicants in 2023 (first year) to 28 applicants in 2024. Might get even harder in 2025 if folks don’t do their homework.

I spent a week there in late December with my niece who drew in the Special Draw. I’d take a General Wyoming tag over that hunt. If folks want to apply there I wish them luck; they’re gonna need it.

 

[mukbowhunt]

It got a lot harder to draw in the second year of the season, 2024. For the two tags in the Regular draw it went from 5 applicants in 2023 (first year) to 28 applicants in 2024. Might get even harder in 2025 if folks don’t do their homework.

I spent a week there in late December with my niece who drew in the Special Draw. I’d take a General Wyoming tag over that hunt. If folks want to apply there I wish them luck; they’re gonna need it.

Yup. Listened to your podcast. Sounded like you were patient enough to wait them out and then capitalize. Glad she was able to be successful!

 

[Addicting]

It got a lot harder to draw in the second year of the season, 2024. For the two tags in the Regular draw it went from 5 applicants in 2023 (first year) to 28 applicants in 2024. Might get even harder in 2025 if folks don’t do their homework.

I spent a week there in late December with my niece who drew in the Special Draw. I’d take a General Wyoming tag over that hunt. If folks want to apply there I wish them luck; they’re gonna need it.

There is some hate on the YouTube comments about making the draw harder. After watching the video that hunt is not one most NR should be applying for anyways. No way I’m driving from any kind of distance to hope the elk are there.

 

[NECALI]

I really like Marcus, but it seemed he was against feeding elk in WY. because of the possibility that CWD could wipe out the herds that are fed. I think I read on another post here that CWD has been around those areas since the 80’s. Hasn’t wiped them out yet. Also wouldn’t the elk be bunched up on winter grounds regardless if they’re being fed or not? I see other areas in Wyoming where the elk are not being fed and they’re sure bunched up during the winter months. So I say keep feeding them if they need it.

 

[Hammsolo]

Great video. Serious time investment. Most hunters don’t have the time, or ability to make that hunt work. Drive the road and pray would be boring as heck. I’d guess many would cruise back and forth each feeding ground and tell stories of what they saw. Many hunters would die trying to process the critter and get it out.

 

[nrpate05]

This is a pretty neat hunt. A friend of mine had a cow tag in the same area a handful of years ago and we did the same thing - ski tour into the public in mid December. We didn't get one as all the cows we saw were already on the feedground. We only saw bulls up on the public. It is cool that Wyoming works with landowners on specific hunts and prioritizes using hunters to address the problem first, even in an imperfect world.